Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that securing the coax downlead using cable clips (into brick) using a hammer takes skill, patience and more clips than clip locations. Is there a purpose designed tool for this job? which gets the hardened pin into the wall without shattering pin, mortar or brick? My neighbour's installation looks so neat with clips every few inches....
TIA
If the wall is really hard, then drill holes and use pin plugs...
I guess something along the lines of a Hilti gun would do this... (They can put nails through steel joists AFAIK)
Maybe hire it from somewhere?
I have found that hold> Have just installed a new antenna and have reminded myself that
securing the
hardened pin
neighbour's
Pin into the mortar only. Works for me.
The trick is to use lots of little taps, not a few heavy clumps.
They just fall out for me. ;-)
'Snow nails' used to be the standard way of fixing cable into mortar, these consisted of a largish wedge shaped nail, with a strip of lead which could be wound around the cable. I've still managed to hang on to a few for special jobs, but for some reason they now appear to be no longer available.
And of course hit the nail square - often not that easy when up a ladder, etc.
I also prefer a club hammer - or at least a heavy one - and light taps with that rather than harder ones with a light hammer.
However, as has been said, for a really neat job drill the bricks and use the special plugs.
You're not supposed to 'test' them. Put in plenty and pray for luck. It also helps if you don't go back to inspect the work. ;-)
Which leads me to one of lifes little mysteries. How is it that when one has finished a job all one can see are the mistakes/bodges made, yet when one looks again after a period of time one is surprised at how perfect it looks ?
There are some plugs that I found on the Screwfix site 89036 which go into a drilled hole and then a cable tie can be attached. I bought some and they work well.
Yep, I'll second the vote for these plugs, especially if you are running multiple cables; BUT beware the effect of UV light on the ties. Unless a special grade is used they can fail in
There are a few varieties on that theme:
The nails bend for me :-r
Tim..
On Sat, 22 Jan 2005 01:43:20 -0000, "Malcolm Stewart" strung together this:
Yep.
Yes, a hammer.
Did I do that one?
securing the
Use good clips (Unifix, Tradefix) as cheap ones have weak nails and plastic. Tap quite gently many times with the hammer. Use eye protection.
Bill
Oh I meant to say, for some reason the softest mortar is often in the vertical joints between the bricks, about a third of the way from the top edge of the bricks.
Bill
BT engineers seem to use something similar (or maybe the same?). After getting bored of seeing normal masonry pin+plastic clips fall out of my wall the last one fetched what I thought was a device made wholly of lead.
After drilling a hole these were tapped into place with a single sharp tap. I think they were a lead 'plug' with a clip shaped head. I guess the hammering deformed the plug to grip the hole. I'd be handy to know their name to be able to get a few.
IanC
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